1037/Home is where the Heart Is

Home is where the Heart Is
Date of Scene:	15 February 2016
Location:	Hisakata Residences
Synopsis:	Ikiko wakes up, and Ayana is missing. Where did she go? Is she planning something?
Cast of Characters:	Ayana, Ikiko Hisakata

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Ayana has posed:
Ikiko's parents were, notably, very surprised when Ikiko came home holding hands with an orange-haired girl. For one thing, Ayana no longer appears as the same girl Ikiko was holding hands with and sheltering a month ago. More importantly, they had thought Ayana permanently turned into a fox! While the Hisakata family is no stranger to magic, having an actual living Kitsune--a legitimate fox-turned-girl--visiting their house and begging to allow her to stay was a bit of a stretch.

Nevertheless, with careful discussion and a little bit of begging and a lot of fast-talking, somehow Ikiko and Ayana managed to convince Ikiko's parents to allow her to stay.

Of course, for the first time in her life, Ayana has to actually buy and wear real clothes. Some of Ikiko's fit her in a pinch for the first day, but there was a shopping trip on Saturday (while Ikiko was in school) which resulted in half of Ikiko's closet being taken up by clothes that are definitely not hers. Where Ikiko is all shorts, pants, and teeshirts, Ayana prefers dresses and skirts.

As Sunday rolls around, Ikiko finds herself awakening in an empty room, again. Ayana is already up and gone, and the pile of pajamas lazily strewn about on the floor are evidence that the kitsune has already dressed and snuck away some time ago. But where could she be, up so early in the morning?

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata blinks lazily, then gets up, gets dressed, and makes the bed. She does check under the bed, just in case Ayana was feeling mischeivous... but no, the kitsune is indeed not in the room.

As Ikiko heads downstairs, she says hello to her parents, then heads to the dining room to get some breakfast. Maybe her girlfriend is still there, enjoying a warm morning meal?

Ayana has posed:
No, the dining room is empty, too. Ikiko's parents share a look when Ikiko wanders by, and a smile. They know something. Something important. Something they won't have to keep secret very long, because all at once the front door opens, and Ayana bursts in panting and out of breath. A brown skirt and brown peacoat have kept her warm against the cold, along with a longf orange scarf around her neck, and tall counter-striped orange and brown stockings. Ayana's ears and tail are not visible, for the moment, although she quickly doffs the black Mary Janes on her feet and closes the door behind her.

In her hands, Ayana clutches a little brown baggie close to her chest. "Got it," she says, still breathing heavily as she follows the pointing fingers of Ikiko's parents towards the dining room.

Ayana's still wearing the blue collar Ikiko gave her as a little fox, but in place of the nametag she instead has a glimmering ball of steel and glass that shines like the very forces of creation are contained within. And as she enters the room, the fox-girl's ears and tails (all four of them) slowly fade into view, and her face brightens as much as it can while she's still out of breath.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata perks up at the sound of the door, then bounds up from her seat as Ayana enters the room. "Good morning, and welcome back, dearest Ayana!" she beams, giving the kitsune a big hug and a quick kiss.

She backs up slightly and tilts her head at the small bag Ayana is carrying. "What's that you got?" Ikiko inquires, trying to see if the paper bag has any identifying marks on it.

Ayana has posed:
The only identifying marks on the baggie are that it's brown, and paper. But Ayana clutches it so close she barely even manages to give Ikiko a hug, although she does return the kiss--perhaps a little more forward, even, than Ikiko. "W--well," Ayana mumbles, then clears her throat and stands up a little straighter. It's a bit awkward being taller than your generally more-dominant girlfriend, but Ayana manages not to feel too ridiculous looking down at Ikiko.

"Well," Ayana re-starts, "it's for you." Then she holds the bag out. Within are eleven hand-selected chocolates, each beautifully prepared. They each hold a different treasured flavor inside, but without any indication as to which chocolate is which. And they're hand-made, too. "Your parents agreed to let me use my allowance for the rest of the month to buy these for you, even though it means I won't have anything else until next month. But ... but ... well ... I know that you're a girl, but we're both girls, so I thought ... well ...," yeah the assertiveness is failing. "Happy Valentines Day."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata accepts the bag and takes a look inside. Her eyes go wide at the sight of the chocolates, both at the lovely quality and what they mean. Not only is it a heartfelt gift to a girlfriend, but it's also a sign of Ayana's assertiveness, which Ikiko fully supports.

There's a slight pause as Ikiko, a stunned look on her face, slowly raises her eyes from the bag of chocolates up to Ayana's face. A huge grin blossoms across her face, and she glomps the kitsune energetically! "Thank you sooooo much, Ayana!" Ikiko beams estactically, covering her girlfriend's face with lots of kisses.

If Ikiko had a tail, she'd undoubtedly be wagging it right now. But she doesn't have a tail as Ikiko, so it can't be wagging.

...so why does it feel like it should actually be wagging?

Ayana has posed:
Ayana's ears, folded uncertainly to either side, pop up very suddenly as Ikiko begins covering her face in kisses. Her eyes are wide, and her cheeks are quickly joining her hair in colour. "I-ki-chan," she mumbles, smiling a little beneath the flurry of excitement.

"I'm sorry it's so last minute," Ayana mumbles, then leans forward to hug Ikiko tightly. "I would have gotten them sooner, but ... you know," yeah she was a little busy. "And I didn't get you any cute presents, either, because I just didn't have enough money. But I'll save up better for next year, I promise. You deserve so much more." Beat. "Um. So. What do you want to do today?"

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"This was perfect," Ikiko murmurs reassuringly, leaning her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. "It carried your heartfelt emotion to me, and that is what's important on a day like today."

She thinks a moment as she considers things to do as a couple. "How about a leisurely stroll around town?" Ikiko suggests. "Just take the time to enjoy the sights of the city as a couple, especially with the romantic atmosphere of Valentine's Day in the air."

Ayana has posed:
"What you mean like ... where everyone can see us?!" Ayana asks uncertainly, eyes widening. She blushes a little, then bites her lip thoughtfully. "I guess we could. Like you're taking me for another walk, but this time ... I can actually walk beside you as a girl." Ayana pauses, then a slow grin creeps across her face. "Hey, are you still gonna put me on the leash?" she asks, tails slowly swishing back and forth beneath her skirt.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata giggles at the thought of girl!Ayana on the leash! "Unfortunately, that might be a bit much for most people," she points out. "Besides, I want to walk with my hand in yours, and holding the leash would kind of get in the way of the hand-to-hand touch."

Her expression turns thoughtful after a moment. "On the other hand... I think I could wear the leash like a bracelet of sorts," she muses. "That way, there's still that sense of connection, but more subtle."

A grin crosses Ikiko's face. "And that way, if you do decide to shift into fox form, we'll have the leash available," she points out cheerfully.

Ayana has posed:
Ayana's tails start wagging just a little more, as her excitement grows. "I liked the leash," she tells Ikiko honestly. "I mean, I also liked that you let me roam when I wanted to and didn't cling to the leash all the time. But ... I liked knowing you were at the other end, whenever we were together."

The kitsune shrugs just a little, and her ears tilt forward to be more attentive to Ikiko. "I love you," Ayana says quietly, then hugs Ikiko tightly. "You should finish your breakfast. And maybe try one of those chocolates. I'll go get your coat and the leash so we can go for a walk."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"I love you, too," Ikiko murmurs back, hugging Ayana and giving her a light kiss on the lips. "Happy Valentine's Day, beloved."

She returns to her seat, making up for lost time with her now-cooling breakfast. After finishing her meal and placing the dishes by the sink, she rummages through the bag of chocolate, picking one out and unwrapping it from its protective plastic. Ikiko bites into it -- oh, yum, caramel center! -- then heads to the entry hall to get her shoes on.

Ayana has posed:
Ayana emerges from the second floor a few moments after Ikiko finishes eating. Ayana has the leash on her collar and slung over her shoulder along with her scarf, stylishly. She's put a miniature backpack on her back, though it looks more for show than anything since she doesn't have anything to put in it. The kitsune offers Ikiko her coat,, then hastily taps back into her Mary Janes before smiling and calling, "Bye, Ikiko-chan's mom and dad! We're going for a valentines' day walk!"

Then she bounds out the door, ears and tails all vanishing behind a mask of illusion as she heads out into the cold. Almost immediately, Ayana offers Ikiko the end of the leash, waits for Ikiko to wrap it about her wrist, then takes Ikiko's hand in her own. "So where to?"

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata entwines her fingers with Ayana's and gives the kitsune a warm smile. "I didn't really have any place in particular in mind," she admits. "Preferably someplace not too crowded, but not too empty, either."

She gives her girlfriend a sly smile. "I was planning on treating you to lunch, so if there's some place you'd like to have lunch at, we can wander in that direction," Ikiko suggests.

Ayana has posed:
Ayana's eyes widen, and her little fangs are all too visible as she considers the idea of food. "I mean, you just ate," she says quietly to Ikiko. "So maybe we shouldn't go for lunch just yet. But if we walk to the park, maybe we could walk to the sandwich place afterwards, and you could buy me my carnivore special?" she offers with a wide smile.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata nods. "Sounds like a great idea!" she agrees. "To the park, then, and when lunchtime rolls around we'll stop by the sandwich place." Valentine's Day with a loved one -- what could be better? <3